A COVID Kind of RFH Football Season Kick-off

The Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) football season is set to kick off on Friday night, but not without new pandemic spectator safety parameters in play.

The Bulldogs will play the first Friday Night Lights home game of the season at 7 p.m. on a new turf field at Borden Stadium against Middletown High School North. RFH had a full summer of sports workouts and training sessions under NJSIAA-mandated guidelines following a hybrid model which began on Tuesday, Sept. 8.  

Those guidelines will apply on Friday night. One, in particular, limits spectators to 500. Most tickets have been allotted so that each RFH player, cheerleader, and band member can have two family members/friends in attendance, RFH officials said. Each visiting player has also been allotted two tickets. The remaining tickets will be randomly assigned to interested students (invited to enter the lottery using their student ID numbers), one ticket per selected student, and will be free of charge. There will be no replacements for lost tickets.

For those attending this Friday’s game, each ticket will have a QR Code on the back for the COVID pre-screening form for the game. No one will be admitted into the game without a ticket and completion of the form. In addition, no food or drink will be permitted into the stadium and the snack stand will be closed. As always, no backpacks will be allowed and all normal sportsmanlike behavior is expected.

For those who won’t be in attendance for Friday’s home opener or other games this season, RFH will be streaming all football games played at home on the turf via the National Federation of State High School Associations. The link is on the RFH website.  

— Edited press release from RFH